Glowing Mushroom Mood Light Full Tutorial

I've been asked to share a piece that was published a few years ago so folks across the pond could make them. I loved making these glowing mushrooms and hope you do too!

The mycena lux-coeli mushroom grows in Japan. It is a bio-luminescent mushroom that blooms during rainy season and only shows for a few damp days. I wanted to try to keep this very cool glowing mushroom around a little longer, so I decided to make it from Fimo effects clay and add a little battery power to help it out.  

Things you will need to make the mushroom night light:

STAEDTLER Fimo soft and effect one 56g block of each in the following colours:

                Translucent red # - 204

                Translucent # - 014

                White# -0

                Caramel # - 07

                Night Glow # - 04

One piece of driftwood roughly 12in x 5in x 4in

Micro lamps 12V – 60 mA – wire terminal base you’ll need one bulb for each mushroom I show five.

9 volt battery holder – you’ll need three, and screws to attach them

Battery snap connectors with colour coded wire for 9 volt batteries – you’ll need three

Electrical tape

9 volt batteries – you’ll need two

Micro mini toggle switch (if you want to switch your glow on and off instead of unhooking batteries)

22 gauge hook up wire

Tools needed to complete this project:

Wire cutters

Double round nose pliers

Wire strippers

1/8^th in wooden dowel 

Drill and drill bits I used a 3/16ths inch bit

Screwdriver

Oven

Clay roller or pasta roller for clay

Soldering iron and Flux solder (optional)

First Baby Dress New Look 6171

Been working on some baby sewing this week. We decided Lily needed a few more dresses so we went looking in our stash for patterns and some fabrics to make a test dress out of. This is the result.

I found this new look pattern in the pattern cupboard and it looked about right. I also found some sheet remnants I used to make this dress for myself a while back.Love the soft pink floral and the wash-ability of this fabric.

I changed the pattern a bit. I made a neck facing.

I added tucks to the top of each sleeve opening. You can see here that the sleeves are a bit big.

I drafted a collar as an afterthought. I just sewed the collar on top of the neckline.

I added some vintage lace. It's handmade and taken from the outside edge of a thrifted doily. The doily was stained and had moth holes so I couldn't salvage much else.

I also decided to use buttons instead of a half zipper and I shortened the skirt length by almost half. Pretty good for a pattern test. I'll have to re-adjust the neck opening, it gapes a bit on Lily. Maybe sewing the collar in correctly will fix the problem. We'll make the real dress, from fabric Maggie designed, next. Can't wait to work on more projects now that I'm beginning to feel stronger. 

Speeding My Recovery Along With Knitting

I've been keeping as busy as I'm allowed. Knitting seems to be the perfect therapy right now. Maybe next week I'll move on to projects that have me moving about a bit more, but for now here's some of what I've been up to.

Made Lily a hat and stocking set. There are now a wee set of thumb-less mittens to go with these.

Maggs got the softest, prettiest set I could make. Love the cables.

Austin got some man mitts. 

Mercy's mitts are lengthened large child size. They'll fit her perfectly!

How do you folks take it easy?

A Spot of Surgery and Some Knitting

Thought I'd better let you folks know why I've been away from the blog. I've had a spot of abdominal surgery. Nothing serious, just some maintenance work. I'll be fine and back to work in five or six weeks. In the meantime I'll be poking my head in here with wee hand made projects that don't require any lifting or long periods of sitting upright.

Found this bootie pattern online from a vintage knitting book called Beehive for Bairns. Both of my girls wore these when they were teensy people. I just had to make at least one pair for our Lily.

I've been having bouts of photo editing too. Just spurts really. None are finished well because I can't stick with things very long yet before I lose my energy and need to rest.

I'll be cuddling Lily if anyone needs me!